This feature is now live in Backstage. Please see our FAQ at the bottom of this article.
YouTube's Collaborator feature allows you to tag up to 5 additional ArtistVEVO channels on a video release, allowing cross-promotion and discoverability on your videos.
- The feature is designed to add collaborators to music videos (shared top-line and featured artists).
- You must have permission to add the related collaborator(s) to a release.
- Collaborators can be added upon a manual delivery or linked via an update by following the steps below.
1. Click "Manage Collaborators" next to the Channels field.
2. Select Channel Type
If the channel is not a Vevo channel OR an OAC merged with a Vevo channel, please select Outside of Vevo network.
3. Enter the Desired Channel
For an in-network collaboration, OACs and URLs won't work here, so please type in the exact VEVO Channel Name.
If the Vevo channel is merged with an OAC, the system will check and use the linked OAC for the invite.
The OAC name will then be visible on the video at YouTube instead of the Vevo channel name.
For an out-of-network collaboration, please use the YouTube handle or channel ID.
Learn how to find your channel ID at YouTube here.
4. Click the "Add Channel" button
Look for the checkmark to confirm the entered channel name is valid.
5. Confirm the channel was added to the list
The channels you add, once validated, will be added to the list. You can add up to four.
6. Click on "Confirm"
7. Optional: Copy invite link
This step is only required if the collaborator Vevo channel is merged with an OAC OR it is a non-Vevo channel.
The links will be stored in the collaboration management section once confirmed, so you can come back to copy it again at any time.
8. Confirm the Collaborators
9. Click on Publish
10. Optional: Accept the Collaborator Invite link
If the Vevo channel is merged with an OAC, the OAC needs to accept the invite link.
The link needs to be opened while logged into the OAC. It will directly take you to the pending invitation to accept.
Please Note: The links in Backstage will take a few minutes to activate after publishing the update.
FAQ:
Do I have to log in to a channel to approve the collaboration request?
Yes, you will have to log in to OACs directly if the Vevo channel is merged.
Will the VEVO channel appear as the collaborator, or the OAC?
- It the artist's VEVO channel is merged* with an OAC, the OAC will appear as the collaborator.
- If the artist's VEVO channel is not merged with an OAC, the VEVO channel name will appear as the collaborator.
*Not sure what channel merging is? Read more in our support article here.
If a video is chowned with an active collaboration - will the collaboration be disturbed by the channel move?
No, the collaboration will remain untouched if a video is chowned with an active collaboration.
If a channel is not merged with an OAC, do I need the invite link?
No, Vevo channel collaborators will be handled entirely by us once it has been set-up in Backstage.
What if the collaborator doesn't have a Vevo channel at all?
This is now supported in Backstage! Non-Vevo channels can be set up manually using the same tool, just select